Cheese-cutter.



No. 718.920. PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903. E. Z. 6: Z. H. GROWELL.

CHEESE CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

Crouj-leZL Q/Vi/Weauo V C O CZ PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

CHEESE GUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6. 1902.

110 monm.

tans

ATENT ()FFIcEQ ELVARO Z. CROVVELL AND ZALMON H. OROWELL, OF MOUNT VERNON, MICHIGAN.

CHEESE-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,920, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed June 6, 1902. Serial No. 110,495. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ELVARO Z. CROWELL and ZALMON H. CnownLL, citizens of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Macomb and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cheese Cutters; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention provides a novel form of safe and cutter for cheese for protecting the same and preventing drying out thereof and enabling any required amount by weight to be cut therefrom.

In its organization the invention comprises a safe having an opening closed by a sliding door formed of slats flexibly connected, a rotary platform for supporting the cheese or analogous product or article to be housed and cut up into desired quantities, a verticallymovable knife, a rack and pinion for actuating said knife, gearing for rotating the platform, indicating means for determining the amount of cheese or other article to be cut from the product located within the safe and mounted upon the rotary platform, said indicating means comprising a movable hand or pointer, and a reversible gage-plate having a series of graduations at each end and upon each side, the graduations corresponding to different rings marked upon the platform and corresponding to cheeses of different diameters.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and drawings hereto attached.

WVhile the essential and characteristic features of the invention aresusceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a safe embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section. Fig. 3 is a detail section of the lower portion of the safe, showing more clearly the operating and indicating means in conjunction with the cutter. Fig. 4 is a front view of the lower portion of the safe. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively obverse and reverse views of the gage-plate.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The safe 1 may be of any size and construction and is provided in one side with an opening closed by a door 2 of the flexible type and mounted to slide in Ways at each side of the door-opening and at the top of the safe. The top and bottom of the safe are solid and the remaining three sides are paneled in any selected way, either by means of glass or wire fabric. One of the sides (preferably the rear) is hinged to admit of removing the platform 3 when required and the placing of said platform and the cheese or other article within the same. The sliding door 2 is used for removing the piece of cheese or other article when out from the bulk of the product or article to be vended or disposed of. One corner (preferably the right-hand corner) of the safe is cut away and closed by a board, to which are fitted the indicating means and the actuating mechanisms for the cutter and platform.

The platform 3 is circular and is provided with a series of concentric rings 4, differently numbered and corresponding with the standard sizes of cheese or other article to be dealt out in small quantities. A socket 5 is provided in the bottom side of the platform and is adapted to receive the upper end of a journal 6, projecting upward from the bottom of the safe. Blocks 7 project upward from the bottom of the safe and steady the platform and prevent tilting thereof and serve to hold it in an approximately horizontal position. The platform can be lifted from the safe when required and easily placed in position, the hinged side of the safe admitting of this operation being conveniently and easily performed. Cog-teeth 8 are pendent from the circumference of the platform and are formed upon the lower edge of a band of circular form secured to the edge thereof. The cogteeth 8 mesh into the cog-teeth of a pinion 9, secured to the inner end of a shaft 10, journaled near the lower end of the corner-piece of the safe and provided at its outer end with a knob or 'handpiece 11, by means of which the shaft is turned when itis required to rotate the platform.

The cutter 12 is secured to a rack-bar 13, mounted to slide in ways applied to the inner side of the said corner-piece. The teeth of the rack-bar 13 mesh into the teeth of a gear-wheel 14, secured to the inner end of a shaft 15, journaled to the safe and provided at its outer end with a crank 16. In order to admit of the cutter having ample vertical movement, an opening is provided in the top of the safe and is adapted to be closed by a pivoted plate 17. By operating the crank 16 the cutter is adapted to be run up or down, according to the direction of rotation of the shaft 15.

The indicating means consist, essentially, of a gage-plate 1S and a pointer or hand 19. The gage-plate 18 is slidably fitted in Ways 20, applied to the lower portion of the cutaway corner of the safe, said plate being reversible end for end and side for side and having approximately semicircular cut-away portions at its upper and lower ends. A series of curved lines are provided upon each side of the plate near each end and are graduated to indicate a unit of measure and fractional parts thereof, such as a pound, a quarter, or other parts thereof. The curved lines of the gage-plate correspond to the concentric circles of the platform, and when a piece of cheese of a certain diameter and weight is fitted upon the platform the gage-plate is arranged so as to bring the curved line or graduation corresponding to the diameter of the cheese upon the outer side and in the lowermost position for cooperation with the pointer or hand 19. A stop 21 is applied to one of the Ways 20 and limits the downward movement of the gage-plate and also properly positions the pointer or hand 19. The part 19 is loosely mounted upon the shaft 10 and is provided with a spring-grip 22 for frictional engagement with a disk 23, secured to the shaft 10, so as to rotate therewith. The spring 22 bears upon the disk 23 with a force sufficient to prevent casual displacement of the pointer and to insure movement thereof with the shaft when the latter is turned to effect rotation of the platform 3 to bring the cheese or other article in position to admit of a piece to be cut therefrom of required size or measure.

The platform 3-is provided with spurs or points 24, upon which the cheese or other article is impaled, so as to prevent slipping of I the cheese and insure movement thereof with desired to out, say, one pound of cheese the pointer or hand 19 is turned until in engagement with the stop 21, after which the shaft 10 is turned until the pointer or hand comes opposite to the last mark on the selected curved line or graduation of the gage-plate. The crank 16 is now turned to effect a descent of the cutter 12 through the instrumentalities herein described, when a piece will be cut from the cheese or article the required size. The cutter being moved upward, so as to clear the cheese, and it being desired to out another piece from the said cheese, the pointer or hand is moved until arrested by the stop 21, when the shaft 10 is again turned in the opposite direction to the movement for setting the hand until the latter indicates the amount to be cut, which operation is effected in the manner stated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a device of the character described, and in combination with a rotary platform and cutting mechanism cooperating therewith, actuating means for said platform comprising cog-gearing, and a shaft adapted to be turned by hand for operation of the coggearing, a gage, a pointer loosely mounted upon the said shaft and adapted to cooperate with the gage, a stop to properly position the pointer, and a friction-grip between the said pointer and shaft to admit of setting the pointer without turning the said shaft and allowing the shaft and pointer to turn together, substantially as set forth. 1

2. In a device of the character set forth, and in combination with a rotary platform and cutting mechanism cooperating therewith, actuating means for said platform, and indicating means for properly setting the platform-actuating means, the same comprising a pointer or hand, a disk, and a spring applied to said pointer and in frictional engagement with the said disk, substantially as set forth.

3. In a device of the character described, and in combination with the rotary platform, cutting mechanism cooperating therewith, and platform-actuating means, indicating mechanism for properly setting said platform, the same comprising a pointer, and a gageplate reversible end for end and side for side and provided upon each side and at each end with a series of graduations, any one of which is adapted to be brought into position for cooperation with the aforesaid pointer, substantially as set forth.

4:. In a device of the character described, a rotary platform provided with concentric rings upon its upper side, cutting mechanism cooperating therewith, and actuating means for said platform comprising a shaft to be turned by hand, a disk secured to said shaft, a pointer mounted upon said shaft to turn loosely thereon, a spring attached to the pointer and in frictional engagement with the said disk, a stop to arrest the movement of the pointer in one direction, and a gage-plate reversible end for end and side for side provided with a series of graduations and adapted to be arranged to bring any one of the graduations into position for cooperation with the aforesaid pointer, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ELVARO Z. OROWELL. [L. s.] ZALMON H. OROWELL. [L. s.] Witnesses:

A. M. GRINNELL, GEORGE W. MANN. 

